Paper Good Inspiration Board: Springtime Fresh & Classic Heritage

My friend Katie recently got engaged and we were asked to help her design an entire suite of invitations and day-of paper goods. As a designer it can be very fulfilling to work with someone who understands and already appreciates your design aesthetic - my job is made a little easier and I can dedicate some extra time putting in key details, since I already know a bit about the client.

Katie and I met a few weeks ago to discuss some invitations ideas. Looking to bring in her wedding colors - orange and mulberry to a traditional engraved invitation, we talked about creating a design that may feature custom family crest, a lovely reminder of her and her fiancés' Irish Heritage.

The wedding is this March and since it's right around the time of Easter, two key elements that need to be representated include the fresh spirit of Springtime and the natural surroundings of the reception venue, a beautiful estate in the quaint town of New Hope, PA.

For every wedding, I find my first step is to pull some inspirational imagery. Similar to an inspiration board, it easily allows me to gather my thoughts and keep the design I'm trying to create clearly focused.

Here's the elements I pulled based on the designs Katie and I spoke about...

images from L to R: Crest with silhouettes / 2-unicorn engraved crest / Lisa Hoffman (of Ceci NY's) own wedding invitations / Martha Stewart Weddings / Rebecca and Matthew by East Six / Pink Program with Orange ribbon and gold peacocks on orange by East Six / ornate crest by iStockPhoto / Brue suite / flowers with calligraphed table cards / Kyoto by Studio on Fire / Regas NY

Be sure to check back in another few weeks to see how this board translates into the actual design.